HANOI STREET PHOTOGRAPHY RETREAT
At least a few times a year, I plan a dedicated Street photography trip to one of the top Street Photography places in the world. Last year I spend 5 days in Tokyo, Japan (Black and white here, Colour lives here ), as well as a dedicated trip to Istanbul.
Earlier this month, I embarked on a 5-day solo Street Photography adventure to Hanoi, Vietnam’s bustling capital. Although I had visited Hanoi in 2022, I felt I hadn’t fully explored its potential. Initially, I planned to capture all my shots in color, but I soon realized that black and white would be more suitable, especially considering the grey skies during my visit.
SCOOTER CITY
One of Hanoi’s most striking statistics is the sheer number of scooters and motorbikes. With a population of approximately 8 million, the city boasts over 6.5 million scooters. As almost all of them run on 2-stroke petrol, Hanoi’s air quality is often poor with many people wearing face masks, which can pose challenges for photography.
Despite the challenges posed by the scooters, they also offer numerous photography opportunities, especially when it comes to capturing the items carried on these two-wheeled vehicles.
I also experimented with slow shutter speeds in order to create some blurred images, inspired by the work of Olga Karlova, whose trilogy book series I recently purchased.
A personal objective of the trip was to shoot more layered images. Providing greater visual depth these images allow the viewer to spend more time engaging with the photograph.
WHERE TO SHOOT?
The Old Quarter is the beating heart of Hanoi and a must-visit location for any street photographer. Its maze of 36 ancient streets, each historically dedicated to a specific trade, is a living museum of Vietnamese culture. Here, one can capture a vendor skillfully balancing baskets of fruit on a yoke, or an elderly woman crouched beside a charcoal grill, fanning the flames beneath sizzling skewers of meat. The street scenes shift throughout the day, offering different moods and lighting conditions, making the Old Quarter an ever-changing canvas for photographers.
Train Street in Hanoi is one of the city’s most unique and thrilling attractions, known for its narrow railway track that runs through a densely packed residential area. Located in the Old Quarter, this narrow passage is lined with houses, cafés, and shops, with a working train passing just inches away from people’s doorsteps.
The Hồ Hoàn Kiếm Lake is an intriguing lake located near the city center, often referred to as the Old Quarter. The lakeside comes alive around sunrise, with hundreds of people engaging in various exercises before heading to work. It’s an awe-inspiring sight, with people walking, stretching, twisting, flexing, practicing tai chi, and only a few running. Notably, there weren’t many young people among them. I estimated the age range to span from around 30 to the senior citizens.
When coming to New York City for the first time, one has to cross the Brooklyn bridge by foot. In Hanoi we have the Long Bien Bridge; designed by Gustave Eiffel, it provides a fantastic vantage point for capturing Hanoi’s skyline as well as the daily rhythms of life along the Red River. It's only accessible for you guessed it, scooters and motorbikes. Pedestrians can cross as well, but you are better not scared of heights as the walk is on a very small sidewalk with some semi-loose concrete tiles.
Hanoi is known for its nighttime markets, which close around 6 to 7 am. One morning, I woke up at 4 am and headed to the Flower Market, a wholesale market that supplies flowers to the wider Hanoi area. As I approached the end of the market’s opening hours, most sellers appeared exhausted, adding to the ambiance of the scene.
WHEN COLOUR WORKS
While I predominantly shot in black and white, there were still instances where color photography was essential. Shooting the typical colors of the Vietnamese flag or a military waiting patiently, colour clearly was to the way to go here!
CAMERA GEAR
For those interested in the equipment I used during my trip to Hanoi, I carried a brand-new Wotancraft Pilot 7L messenger bag for daily use. My camera gear consisted of my Fujifilm X-T5, equipped with the XF18 f1.4, XF35 F1.4, and XF50 F2.0 lenses, as well as the Fujifilm X100VI. At any given time, I would either have the X100VI or the X-T5 with me, while the other camera (and lenses for X-T5) remained at the hotel.
ACCOMODATION
Regarding the location, I chose to stay in the Old Quarter, which was an ideal choice due to its proximity to the action and literary hundreds of hotels to choose from. While the location is great it was undoubtedly a bit more noisy compared to other areas.
While shooting it's important to be mindful of the number of tourists, as they can sometimes disrupt shots. To avoid this, I often found myself shooting early in the morning, when most tourists were still asleep or having breakfast. This allowed me to capture more original and less crowded scenes. In fact, I often only ended up having breakfast after several hours of shooting.
CONCLUSION
Hanoi is a paradise for street photography, offering a perfect mix of old and new, chaos and calm, tradition and innovation. Whether it’s the timeless charm of the Old Quarter, the poetic beauty of Hoan Kiem Lake at dawn, or the electrifying energy of the city at night, Hanoi never fails to inspire. For photographers who love capturing life as it unfolds, Hanoi is more than just a destination—it is a story waiting to be told, one frame at a time.
The entire Black and White street photography gallery of Hanoi can be found here. More colour shot, including the ones from a 2022 across a larger area in Northern Vietnam can be found here.
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